A beach cookout always sounds like a great idea. Everyone sits on blankets, admiring the gorgeous sunset or enjoying the nice weather. But then there’s schlepping the charcoal, grilling accessories, and giant coolers, and it can be such a mess to clean up in the dark!

Many years ago, I invited some friends for a picnic on the beach to see if I could do it differently. I wanted the party to be fun, not just for my guests but for me too.

I invited everyone for an early supper around 6:00 PM so we’d have lots of afternoon light. Instead of putting together a whole cookout, I made food that could be packed into containers and served cold or at room temperature—anything I could make ahead and put in Tupperware. It’s not fun worrying if the food will stay hot or become soggy on its way over! At the end of the night, we threw away the disposable napkins and utensils and packed up the food containers to clean at home. I could enjoy the beautiful weather and the company, and it felt worth the extra effort to bring it to the beach instead of serving it at home.

These are a few of my favorite salads and desserts to make and bring on picnics:

Salads
Curried Chicken Salad
Lobster Cobb Salad
Broccoli with Garlic
Quinoa Tabbouleh with Feta
Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Desserts
Outrageous Brownies
Giant Crinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies
Shortbread Hearts & “Linzer” Cookies
Lemon Bars
Raspberry Crumble Bars